Things Must Change
by elsiecarson
Summary: Didn't you ever feel as if Hyacinth should feel guilty about the way she treats her husband and the way their life has turned out? This is that story with some drama thrown in coming from Sheridan. How does the interference of life affect this couple?
1. A Sudden Change in Behaviour

Richard Bucket (pronounced Bouquet according to his wife though he still denies this) is going off to work. His wife Hyacinth exits the house with him to see him off. Normally, Richard kisses Hyacinth on the cheek; today, however, Richard is feeling bold. He misses the intimacy that had existed between he and his wife before their son was born. Their son is now twenty-three and is at university still because he hasn't decided what he wants to do yet. Richard, full of confidence gives his wife a kiss on the lips, jumps into the car and drives off leaving his stunned wife standing in the driveway of their house.

Hyacinth stands there for a moment before she turns around and walks into the house. "What's gotten into him?" she wonders. "He's always been affectionate, but he hasn't done that for years. Not that I'm complaining, I've missed how close we once were. Maybe that's it: maybe he's tired of not being closer to me after all we used to kiss each other all the time and we've gotten away from that a lot over the years."

Hyacinth goes about her usual work of tidying the house. She goes upstairs to the bedroom that she and Richard share, looks at the two double beds that had replaced the queen sized bed they had once shared, sits down at the foot of Richard's bed and wonders what has happened between the two of them. They are so distant now that they don't even seem to resemble the cozy couple they had once been. She lays down on the bed with her head on Richard's pillow and she can smell his cologne, aftershave and shampoo, a smell that was once so comforting that has now become almost foreign to her. She starts to cry; she loves Richard so much and she feels now that she looks back on the last twenty-three years that she has rather neglected him in favour of their son. Enough is enough, she thinks. Richard is worth more than this. This thought is the last one Hyacinth thinks coherently before she falls asleep.


	2. I'm Home Where are You?

Richard arrives home, looks into the kitchen which is where Hyacinth usually is and not finding her there begins to panic. He goes upstairs to change out of his suit and notices that the bedroom door is closed which is unusual. Richard goes into the bedroom and is shocked to find Hyacinth fast asleep on his bed. He creeps up to her, sits on the edge of the bed, and gently shakes her awake. "Hyacinth," he whispers in her ear. "I'm home, darling. Are you alright?"

Hyacinth's eyes flutter open and she is surprised to see Richard leaning over her. "What did you say, Richard? I'm sorry I wasn't really listening." Hyacinth asks as she rubs her eyes.

"I asked if you were okay, darling. It's odd to find you asleep at five o'clock in the afternoon. You're not sick, are you?" Richard asks as Hyacinth sits up. He brushes the hair off of her face as she yawns.

"I'm fine, dear just fine. We need to talk, I've been doing some thinking today and I think that some things need to change around here." Hyacinth says as she places her hand on the side of Richard's face.

"Hyacinth, I'll be glad to talk with you any time, but I need to eat first. Lunch was a long time ago. What's for dinner any way? I didn't smell anything cooking when I came in." Richard says carefully as he tucks a lock of Hyacinth's hair behind her ear.

Hyacinth sighs; she hasn't even thought about what to serve for dinner. "I'm so sorry Richard, I hadn't even thought about dinner. I've been thinking so much about other things that I haven't even thought about it and I've been asleep most of the day. Why don't we go out for dinner? I don't feel like coming up with something right at the minute." Hyacinth says gently and returning Richard's gentle gesture brushes the lock of hair back that has fallen into Richard's face.

"Of course, if that's what you'd like to do that's fine with me. You tidy up and I'll be downstairs reading the newspaper. Give me a shout if you need anything." Richard says as he heaves himself up off the bed. He is concerned about his wife. She seems so serious all of a sudden. He wonders what has happened in the last eight hours. She also never falls asleep in the middle of the day unless she is sick. He hopes that something serious isn't going on with her health. He can't lose her despite how frustrated he gets with her.

Hyacinth sighs as Richard leaves the room. She hadn't thought she'd been asleep that long. She had wanted everything to be perfect for tonight and it has already started off badly. She goes into the bathroom and combs out her hair, looks at her dress, and decides not to change it; it is elegant enough for going out to dinner. She looks at her hands and realizes that her engagement ring is still in her jewellery box and she usually puts it on first thing in the morning. She always takes her engagement ring off before she goes to sleep. She goes to the box and slips on the second most important ring she has ever received. She looks at her shoes; she hates these shoes and she decides to change them before they leave.

When Hyacinth walks down the stairs Richard is waiting for her. He kisses her hand as she reaches the bottom; she blushes, Richard hasn't treated her like this for years. It is nice to feel loved again. "Are we ready to go?" Richard asks as he tucks Hyacinth's hand through his arm and walks out the front door.

"Of course," Hyacinth says quietly. "I wouldn't have come down the stairs if I wasn't ready to go."

"Silly me, I should have known. A lady never leaves the boudoir without being entirely prepared for the rest of her evening." Richard says cheekily as he opens the car door for Hyacinth and then goes around to his side of the car. "What do you want for dinner?" he asks hospitably.

"It's up to you really; after all I'm the one who didn't make dinner. I shouldn't really get an option." Hyacinth says as Richard slips the car into gear and backs down the drive.

"I know exactly where I'm taking you." Richard says slyly. "There's a fabulous little French restaurant in town that I've been dying to try out. The men at work all say the food is to die for. What do you think?"

"That sounds wonderful. I've always liked French food. Why don't you tell me about your day on our way into town?" Hyacinth says trying to get Richard to open up for once rather than her being bossy all the time and him not getting a word in edgewise.

"Trust me you do not want to hear about my day it was horrible. There were too many meetings and not enough time to get my work done. Now I'll have to stay late tomorrow to get finished in time for the deadline I have." Richard sighs and puts his hand over Hyacinth's. "But never mind that now let's just enjoy the evening."


	3. The Hard Things to Say

As they arrive home from a fabulous dinner Hyacinth sighs she knows the next few minutes of conversation with Richard could change everything. "All right," Richard says as they walk in the house. "What did you want to talk about earlier?"

"Make yourself comfortable first I'm going to go make some tea." Hyacinth says as she bustles around the kitchen which is where all their serious chats seemed to happen.

Richard sighs he can tell that something very serious is stirring inside his wife's head and the sooner he finds out what it is the better. "If it will make you feel better to have a cup of tea, by all means go right ahead." Richard says. As he says this he thinks over his recent actions wondering what he's done wrong now. His mind quickly alights on the kiss that morning; he hopes she hasn't been thinking about that all day. He was only expressing his feelings for once.

"Richard, after you kissed me this morning I realized quite a few things about me, and us, and our relationship. I realized that I've been neglecting the one person that means the most to me in the entire world: you. I miss being kissed like I was this morning, I miss holding hands walking down the street, but most of all I miss sharing a bed with you. I miss that warm, comforting presence next to me in the night, the smell of your cologne, and your soft touch to wake me up in the morning. Is there any way we can go back to the way we once were?" Hyacinth asks in a melancholy tone. As she says this she twirls her engagement ring around her finger.

This is Hyacinth Bucket's one nervous habit and her husband picks up on it immediately even though normally he would never have noticed that small detail. Richard starts to laugh slightly. Hyacinth gives him a scathing glare. "Oh, Hyacinth don't look at me that way. You've said nothing wrong; I thought when you said we needed to talk that you thought I'd done something wrong by kissing you the way I did this morning, but it turns out I did everything right. I've missed you too, darling. I miss the smell of your perfume, the feel of your hand in mine, being able to kiss you like no one's watching even if they are. I miss being able to be proud to call you my wife. I miss being able to slip my arm around your waist in the middle of the night. We've been a comfort to each other for too long to believe that we can't turn this around." Richard says this as he reaches across the table and grasps Hyacinth's hands in his own. "Let's start making new memories right now. Come on, we'll sit in the living room with you in my arms and do whatever we want. I even saw an antiques show on that we could watch together."

Hyacinth has begun to cry. It has been many years since she's felt so loved, at least by her husband and the last time she has cried had been when her mother died. "Richard," Hyacinth says quietly. "I love you very much indeed. Please, never forget that."

"I won't forget it now or ever. Come here, my darling, you look exhausted. It seems as if you have had as difficult a day as I have. Let's just relax for the rest of the night. I'll push the double beds together, until we go shopping for a new one, so that we can be together." Richard says as he stands up, goes over to his wife and gives her a hug.

"Richard, how did I ever deserve you? You are just so sweet and accommodating and I can't quite believe this is real and I will strive to deserve your love from now on." Hyacinth says though her voice is muffled by Richard's sweater.

"You deserve me because you love me. You've loved me for a long time. As long as we make a pact here and now to fix our relationship you do not have to strive any harder than that. Just doing all the thinking and planning that you did today shows me that our love is still as strong as it ever was and after all our troubles we did get a fabulous son out of the bargain. Now, come on, stop being so melancholy; this is a new beginning. Let's go watch that antiques program I know you like." Richard says as he takes Hyacinth by the hand, leads her into the sitting room, sits down on the couch, and lets Hyacinth lie down with her head in his lap. Hyacinth sighs; she is happily in Richard's arms once again and Richard chuckles to hear this for it is rare his wife is so relaxed. "Are you perfectly content now, my love?" he asks looking down upon her angelic, calm face. It is rare to witness her emotions so clearly and it's rare for him to express his emotions so poetically.

"Yes, my dear, I'm perfectly content with you, here in this moment. Tonight has almost seemed magical; it turned out far better than I expected or planned." Hyacinth replies snuggling into Richard.

"When was the last time I asked you if you were perfectly content? Do you remember?" Richard asks as he draws tiny circles on Hyacinth's back with his fingers.

"How could I ever forget? It was at our wedding reception, during our first dance. You asked me that as you dipped me down right at the end of the dance." Hyacinth replies placing her hand on Richard's knee.


	4. It's Bedtime

Richard yawns slightly as ten o'clock nears. He looks down at his wife who has been content to sit in silence with her husband. He wants desperately to go to bed, but she has made no such move. Richard leans closer to Hyacinth and notices she has fallen asleep again. Today must have been totally emotionally exhausting, Richard thinks to himself, well there's nothing else to do but carry her up to bed. Richard thinks about how his knees and back would protest in the morning and compares it to that of the protestations of his wife and decides he'll let his body protest; it is quieter in its protests.

Richard carries Hyacinth up the stairs, places her on his bed, pushes her bed to his, looks around the room and sighs. This is the way he wants things to be; a comfortable, cozy, middle aged couple with no qualms about showing affection. Richard sighs again and changes into his pyjamas. Then he thinks about his wife: she would certainly be angry with him if he didn't put her nightgown on her, but would she be more upset by him changing her without her permission. Richard decides probably not and adoringly changes his wife into her nightgown and tucks her under the bedclothes before climbing into bed himself.

His last conscious thought before sleep takes him is that he would take tomorrow off to spend with his wife and then when he goes back to work would announce that he is going to retire. It is time he decides to spend more time at home, a thing which until now had seemed a death sentence, but now with his wife seeming far more agreeable the idea seemed a fine one, especially if they ever wanted to travel. He knows Hyacinth has always wanted to see the world, perhaps when he retired they would have the chance.


	5. Playfulness

Hyacinth wakes up to a warm presence next to her for the first time in twenty-three and a half years. She rolls over in Richard's arms and smiles. She draws her finger down the side of Richard's face and waits for him to wake up; coyly, Richard smiles in his sleep though he hasn't been asleep for over an hour. In reality he has been watching his wife sleep; she is beautiful always, but most of all when she is asleep with no worries to plague her mind. "Richard just stop I know you're awake your breathing isn't even enough for you to be asleep." Hyacinth says giving Richard a kiss which makes his eyes fly open.

"Well, good morning to you too," Richard says as he leans into his wife and gives her another kiss. "What do you think about me taking today off? We haven't spent a day together as a couple actually enjoying our days together in a long time. Perhaps now it's time to enjoy life."

"Can you afford to take today off? I thought you said that you had a lot of work to do. I wouldn't want to be the cause of you not completing assignments. I'd love you to take today off just make sure you can actually take the day off. I don't want you to be in trouble." Hyacinth has turned into the doting wife again and she knows that this is how she wants to remain. She likes doting on the man she loves.

"I've already called in and said that I got food poisoning after taking my wife out to dinner. My superiors understood after all food poisoning is not something one can control. I've got something else to talk to you about. What would you think if I told you I've decided to retire? It's time, Hyacinth, I've worked hard at that job my entire life, and now it's time to do something for me and you." Richard says calmly as he runs his fingers through Hyacinth's hair.

"Really, Richard? Do you really want to retire? That's a huge step for you; you haven't thought about retiring in years and you've been eligible for early retirement for years. I will only ask this once. Are you sure?" Hyacinth asks as she snuggles deeper under the covers and closer to Richard.

"You're right, when you and I weren't doing well as a couple I didn't want to retire because the thought of spending all day in your presence and not be able to touch you, kiss you and travel the world with you made me feel horrible. You were so demanding that I didn't think I'd ever retire because you were more demanding at times than my boss. Now that we've settled everything I want to retire; I want to spend more time with you before it has all slipped away and we don't have the stamina to travel and do all the things we want." Richard says as he stretches his arms high above his head.

"All right, Richard, if you're sure you want to retire I am certainly not about to stop you. It will be wonderful to have you at home again. We'll have opportunities to go all over the country; that will be fun. At least, it will be because I'm with you. I've always loved to travel, but it's always more fun to travel with someone you love." Hyacinth says as she too stretches and flexes her toes gracefully.

Richard smiles. He's forgotten that his wife does that every morning, first thing in the morning. He has an uncanny urge to grab her toes under the blanket and for once, giving in to juvenile behaviour, he does. He grabs Hyacinth's toes in his strong hands and refuses to let go. With his hands still on Hyacinth's toes he pulls her towards himself and soon she is right under him. He leans down towards her and kisses her slowly and lovingly. He is pleased to see when he comes up from the kiss for air that she has a beautiful beaming smile upon her face that seems almost mischievous.

Hyacinth had been overwhelmed for a moment by that kiss, but it didn't last for long. She takes a breath and then reaches up, pulls Richard back down to her and kisses him with abandon as she used to when she was young.

They both finally pull away and sit up. "Well," Richard says finally. "What do you think about actually getting up and having breakfast? It is nine o'clock already after all. If we want to do anything today maybe we should think about getting up, getting dressed and getting something to eat."

"Richard, we can't possibly go out today, not if your employers think you're not well. Besides whoever said I wanted to do anything today? Perhaps I just want to stay in bed all day and read and talk to you and kiss you and just be in your presence." Hyacinth says suggestively as she sits up and leans against Richard's chest.

"Oh, really, well the Queen's wish is my command." Richard says dropping his arm around Hyacinth's shoulders. "However, I should mention, your majesty, that no one can go a whole day without eating, not even you."

"I'm not a queen, Richard, and I wasn't suggesting that we not eat all day. I'm just saying that today doesn't have to be productive in any way. I'm just happy being here in your arms. It brings back wonderful memories." Hyacinth says reaching up and giving Richard a peck on the cheek.

"You're my queen and that is all that matters. Now are we going to go eat? I'm starving and I'm going to cook because you deserve it. Come on, let's go eat." Richard says as he hops out of bed and goes towards the door.

Hyacinth looks confused. "We're not getting dressed?" she asks. She wants to know if she understands the situation correctly.

"What is the point of getting dressed if we're coming back up to bed?" Richard asks cheekily. "It doesn't make much sense does it? Come on, come with me." Richard says holding out his hand to her.


	6. Richard Makes Breakfast

The now happy couple walks down the stairs and into the kitchen. Hyacinth bustles around as usual and puts tea on for the two of them. "Now, out of my kitchen." Richard says forcefully. "I have a masterpiece to create."

"What are you making me, Richard?" Hyacinth asks she is always a bit sceptical about Richard's cooking skills or lack of them.

"I am making us a two person omelette to share. There's enough food in this house to make a marvellous omelette." Richard says bustling around and getting all the ingredients and equipment out that he needs.

Hyacinth breathes a sigh of relief. Omelettes are one thing she knows Richard knows how to cook well. "I'm just going to go get the newspaper and the milk Richard while you're cooking." Hyacinth says as she walks out of the kitchen and into the hall.

Hyacinth takes her time going to get the paper and the milk because she knows her presence in the kitchen makes Richard nervous. Luckily, when she goes out Elizabeth, her next door neighbour is out in her garden. Hyacinth decides to give Richard a few more minutes and sits on the wall separating her property from Elizabeth's. The two women chat for a few minutes and for the first time Elizabeth isn't nervous when talking to her next door neighbour who suddenly seems very calm and not snotty at all.

Elizabeth asks if Richard had gone to work that morning because she hasn't seen him leave and the car is still in the driveway. Hyacinth replies that as a matter of fact Richard hadn't gone to work that morning. She mentions that her relationship with Richard has gotten better in the last twenty-four hours than it has been for years and Richard has decided to stay home and spend the day with her. Elizabeth finally notices that Hyacinth is still in her nightgown and dressing gown and suddenly everything becomes quite clear. Hyacinth smiles in satisfaction and walks back into the house with her newspaper and milk. Suddenly being suggestive seems almost second nature to her. She is normally very secretive about her relationship with her husband, but now she wants people to know that she has a wonderful relationship with her husband.


	7. Where Did You Get To?

"What kept you?" Richard asks as she walks back into the house. The smell coming from the kitchen is delicious and Hyacinth can't wait to eat.

"I bumped into Elizabeth. She was out in her garden doing some work so I decided to talk with her for awhile. I know I make you nervous in the kitchen so I decided to leave you to it. Everything smells wonderful." Hyacinth says as she walks into the kitchen, puts the paper on the table and the milk in the refrigerator.

"Well, you have impeccable timing. Breakfast is served. I did a mushroom, bacon, onion, and cheese omelette and a side dish of hash browns and fruit salad. Here, try a bite. See if I made my omelette to your standards." Richard says as he brings forks and knives to the table and lifts a piece of omelette to Hyacinth's mouth.

Once Hyacinth has finished her small mouthful of omelette she smiles. "It's delectable. It's light, fluffy, and tasty; it's perfect, as you already know, because your omelettes always turn out this way." Hyacinth says teasing Richard a little.

"Perhaps, but I wanted to hear you say it was perfect after all that is praise one doesn't normally dare to hope for from you. I'm glad you like it; this was a recipe that my mother used to make for me when I was young." Richard says as he sits down and pulls a napkin across his lap and hands Hyacinth her cutlery.

The couple finishes breakfast in relative silence except to ask the other to exchange sections of the newspaper.


	8. Private Moment in the Bedroom

Finally when the omelette, hash browns, and fruit have disappeared Richard smiles at Hyacinth, holds his hand out for her to take and walks her back up to their bedroom. They each lie down on the bed and Hyacinth reaches over to her bedside table, opens her book, and begins to read. "Oh no you don't," Richard says taking the book from Hyacinth's hands. "I have something much more exciting and interesting in mind."

Hyacinth turns towards him in anticipation and Richard leans over and kisses her. The kiss grows in intensity finally finishing when each participant needs to breathe. As soon as Richard catches his breath he draws Hyacinth to him and kisses her again this time licking her bottom lip to try and get her to open her mouth and deepen the kiss. Suddenly, as the kiss deepens Hyacinth takes the initiative and starts to unbutton Richard's pyjama top. "Are you sure?" Richard asks as he pulls back from her a little bit.

"Absolutely," Hyacinth says as she leans in again and keeps French kissing her husband. Richard shrugs his shoulders to remove his pyjama top and keeps kissing his wife. He pulls away, pulls the collar of Hyacinth's nightgown back a little and starts kissing her neck. This is too much for Hyacinth to take; she hasn't been kissed like this for so long it makes her giddy.

"Are you ready?" Richard asks as he strips Hyacinth's nightgown off of her and begins to take off his pyjama bottoms.

"Yes, I've been ready for twenty-three years." Hyacinth says kissing Richard again.

"Are you sure?" Richard asks; he doesn't want to hurt his wife.

"I've only ever been surer of wanting to marry you." Hyacinth says as she pulls Richard towards her and kisses his chest.

The love they make today is slow, adoring, and above all it brings them together again as they haven't been in years and in more ways than one. Holding Hyacinth in his arms later Richard thinks about the perfect bliss of holding his wife in his arms again. She'd been so worried that he wouldn't like how she looked now, but he's never thought she is ugly and now he is sure she never will be.


	9. Dinner and Promises

Hyacinth has fallen asleep in Richard's arms and he doesn't mind at all, in fact he snuggles down next to his wife and falls asleep breathing in the soft scent of her shampoo and perfume. A while later Hyacinth awakes to the smell of grilled steaks and baked potatoes. Suddenly she is worried; Richard never cooks this much. She hastens down the stairs (a lady never runs) and into the kitchen. "What are you up to, my love?" Hyacinth asks as she slips her arms around Richard's waist. He'd decided to only put his pyjama bottoms on and left the top off and Hyacinth strokes her fingers down his bare chest.

"Well, as you didn't appear to want to wake up any time in the near future and I was hungry I decided to make dinner. I hope you don't mind. Good evening to you too, by the way." Richard says as he turns around at the touch of Hyacinth's hands.

"Are you kidding me? I don't mind you cooking at all. I wish you'd cook more often, but it always makes me wary when you cook. You're not known for being a notoriously fabulous chef. You did do some vegetables with that steak and those potatoes, didn't you?" Hyacinth asks as she looks around the kitchen.

"I did indeed, but I decided to grill them, so they're out on the grill with the steaks which I'm about to go get. Why don't you set the table and I'll be right back? You were amazing today by the way. I didn't think either of us were quite that virile anymore; it was fabulous." Richard says as he takes a large platter out to the grill. He smiles to himself as he walks out to the patio.

Cheeky, Hyacinth thinks as she gets plates, forks, knives, and napkins out and set the table. Not that she minds, but he'd better be careful what he says in public from now on. Now Hyacinth says a voice in the back of her head that is something the old Hyacinth would think; the new Hyacinth doesn't care what other people think. Did Richard just go outside without a shirt on? Oh, well. He's allowed to. It's not as if it's illegal.

At that moment Richard walks back into the kitchen carrying a platter with steak and vegetables on it. "What have you been doing? The table's all messy." Richard looks at his wife in amazement. Usually everything is impeccable, but the table looks as if she hasn't really been paying attention.

"I know I wasn't really paying attention. I was thinking that now that we've rekindled the romance in our relationship we're both going to have to be more careful what we say in front of other people. We're both used to being able to share everything with other people and that's not the case now because certain things like what we've been doing today should stay private." Hyacinth smiles as she looks at Richard.

"I haven't had to think about what I'm saying for a long time. It might take some practice. I'll try not to give away too many intimate details about you. For instance I would never tell anyone that you're insanely ticklish or where you like to be kissed the most." Richard chuckles as he ducks a swing from his wife. He is glad that they can joke together again.

"Cheeky devil. You are such a tease. What am I going to do with you? I will have to be sure not to mention to anyone that you like to have your toes sucked or that you hate me to have hairy legs in bed."

"You wouldn't dare!" Richard is shocked at the teasing manner that has come back into their relationship so quickly. He's forgotten what a good sense of humour his wife has about most things.

"You're quite right I would never even consider saying such things to anyone. People are going to notice that we're getting along much better than we have in twenty-three years. What are we going to say when they ask?"

"We say that we took some action that prevented any more harm being done to our relationship. We say that we came to a conclusion that our relationship was not a partnership and it needed to be. We say that we decided that things in our lives needed a change."

"How did you ever get so socially smart? I was thinking even simpler than that. I was thinking that we could say that we finally matured into our relationship after all these years. Your suggestion is better than mine though."

"We should celebrate this step in our relationship some how. I know you've wanted to see Jesus Christ Superstar; what if I get us tickets to see that as a reward?"

"Really Richard you don't have to. I know you're not keen on going to the theatre. We can think of some other way to celebrate."

"I don't mind going to the theatre as long as we don't see any opera. I wouldn't mind seeing Jesus Christ Superstar again. I've already seen it once with you."

"When did we go see Jesus Christ Superstar? It must have been a very long time ago because I don't remember going."

"That's probably because much more exciting things happened that night. I took you to see Jesus Christ Superstar the night I proposed to you. I don't know how much of the play we actually saw because you were so excited about finally getting married."

"I remember now. I'd been begging for months to go see that play with you in London and then all of a sudden you said that we were going to go. I was so thrilled and when you proposed I was even more thrilled. That was the best moment of my life. It was absolutely perfect and I enjoyed every minute of that day."

"So did I. You looked so radiant that day. I remember walking hand in hand with you through Hyde Park in the sunshine. It was such a beautiful day and we went and watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and even caught a glimpse of the Queen leaving the palace for an event. I was surprised that you didn't notice how nervous I was. I thought for sure you were going to pick up on it right away, but I must have covered well."

"Actually you didn't. I just pretended you did because I didn't want you to think that I suspected anything was going on. You never have been able to lie to me well which is one thing I've always appreciated." Hyacinth picks up all the dirty dishes and rinses them before putting them all in the dishwasher. "What are we going to do for the rest of the evening?"

"I thought I'd read. I want to finish this book I'm reading and it's just getting very interesting. Why don't we just have a quiet night tonight? I have to go back to work tomorrow and tell my boss that I'm retiring. Will you throw me a retirement party?" Richard asks as he stands at the bottom of the stairs about to go up and collect his book. "Would you like me to get your book too?"

"Yes, please, dear," Hyacinth says. She waits until Richard comes back down the stairs to say. "Of course I'll throw you a retirement party. It would be unfair not to; you've worked so hard over the years you deserve a fabulous party."

Richard passes Hyacinth her book and then takes her hand and leads her into the living room. He sits down on the sofa and puts his arm along the back and Hyacinth sits next to him and tucks her feet under her. The evening is quiet and restful and when she looks up she can hardly believe how late it is. She decides to leave it up to Richard to notice the time. She isn't going to nag him anymore. Richard yawns and then looks up at the clock. "Good grief, I need to get to bed. Look at the time; I need to be up early tomorrow. This will never help my health."

"You're right it is late. Are you going to tell your boss that you're retiring when you go to work tomorrow?" Hyacinth asks curious to find out if he's changed his mind since he mentioned it. She knows that he's mentioned it earlier, but she hopes he still means it.

"Of course I am. I told you I was. Didn't you believe me?" Richard asks as he puts his bookmark in his book and takes Hyacinth's hand in his as they climb the stairs to their bedroom.

"I only hoped you hadn't changed your mind. I know I'm not easy to deal with and I hope I haven't changed your mind." Hyacinth says as she begins to cry again for the second time in as many days.

"Oh, Hyacinth don't cry. You're not difficult to live with and you're getting much easier to get along with in the last couple of days. I love you and I'm not afraid to spend more time with you now that we've started to fix things. The last twenty-four hours have been incredible and I'm not willing to give this up to be at work everyday. Don't feel guilty Hyacinth. There are two of us in this relationship and I didn't stand up for what our relationship could be. Promise me one thing: that you're okay with how high class we are now and you won't be trying to improve it anymore. It's part of the reason I pulled away from you."

"I promise, Richard. We're high class by virtue of the way we treat each other and our deportment. I can't believe that you put up with me as long as you did. I was as nightmarish as Daisy and Onslow and Rose. I'm sorry, Richard." Hyacinth says burying her face in Richard's shoulder.

"There's nothing to apologize for. I know that you're trying to compensate for your family, but you're not responsible for your sisters or your father. You're only responsible for Sheridan and I now." Richard says as he brushes his teeth in the bathroom.

"That makes me feel so much better. You always know just what to say Richard, thank you." Hyacinth says as she climbs into bed and waits for Richard to join her.


	10. Let's Celebrate

When Richard comes home the next night, Hyacinth is back to being her usual, doting self. She's made his favourite meal. "Hello, love of my life." Richard says as he comes in and puts his arms around Hyacinth's waist and kisses her cheek.

"Hello my angel." Hyacinth says as she turns in Richard's arms and kisses him. "Go and sit down. I'm just about to serve dinner."

Richard sits down and smiles at his wife who looks content as she puts together two plates of dinner. She places them on the table and then goes back to the kitchen and comes back with two glasses of red wine to enjoy. "Just a treat to celebrate your retirement announcement." Hyacinth says sweetly.

"We never have wine. Thank you, Hyacinth. You make me so happy. My boss is sorry to see me go, but is happy for me." Richard says as he reaches across the table and squeezes her hand.


	11. Bad News

Later the couple snuggle into bed. Richard falls asleep quickly, but Hyacinth lays awake for a while. Just as she is falling asleep the phone rings. Richard answers it. "The Bucket residence. What? Is he okay? We'll be right there. Which hospital is it? Hyacinth, we've got to go to the hospital. Sheridan has been admitted. He tried to commit suicide." Richard says gently. He can't believe it.

"What?" Hyacinth asks sleepily. She's not sure that she's heard Richard properly. She is drifting between sleep and consciousness.

"Sheridan is in the hospital." Richard repeats again slowly with fear evident in his voice.

Hyacinth immediately jumps out of bed. "We need to go." She says practically running to the closet and pulling clothes out for herself and Richard. She throws Richard his clothes.

"Hyacinth calm down. You won't do Sheridan any good if you are this upset." Richard says as he pulls his pants on. He wants to just hold her but she's not standing still for long enough.

"Richard, did I hear you right? Did Sheridan really try to commit suicide? Why would he do such a thing?" Hyacinth asks as she zips up her skirt.

"Yes, you did hear me right. I have no idea why Sheridan would try to commit suicide, but I suppose we will find out. It certainly doesn't sound like him." Richard says buttoning his shirt.

"I don't know if I can do this." Hyacinth says plainly. "I don't think I can face my son when he's this ill. It terrifies me."

"That's our job as parents, Hyacinth. We'll get through this together. We have to stay strong. You cannot let him see how upset you really are." Richard says squeezing Hyacinth's shoulders. "Are you ready?"

"I suppose," Hyacinth sighs heavily as she picks up her handbag.

"Don't worry, Hyacinth. Sheridan is resilient. He'll be alright." Richard says as he and his wife climb into the car.

"It's not that. I just don't know how I'm going to react." Hyacinth says as her eyes begin to tear up.

Richard puts one arm around his wife's shoulders as they drive in the direction of the hospital. She's an emotional person though normally she keeps everything under wraps. He smoothly pulls the car into the car park at the hospital and goes around to help Hyacinth out of the car. He doesn't want her to have to be on her own at all. She doesn't seem to be coping with this situation well and if he's honest he isn't either.


	12. Parents' Pain

Richard and Hyacinth approach the front desk and Richard calmly asks what room Sheridan Bucket is in. For once Hyacinth doesn't comment on the fact that Richard mispronounced their last name. She seems to be in shock. When Richard receives the information he needs he gently takes Hyacinth's hand in his and leads her down the hall in the direction of Sheridan's room. He takes a deep breath before he opens the door to Sheridan's room. He'll have to be in the hospital for at least 72 hours for a psychiatric evaluation. Richard and Sheridan may be at odds often, but in truth, Richard loves his son very much. The only thing is that Sheridan drove he and his wife further apart.

Richard feels his wife collapse against him when they enter the room. He is hardly less shocked than his wife. Sheridan looks terrible. He looks as if he's dead. Richard grips his wife's waist tightly and grabs a chair for her to sit on at the edge of the bed. He stands just behind his wife with his hands on her shoulders for a moment before grabbing another chair and sitting beside her. She looks so shaken. They sit and wait for the doctor to come in or for their son to wake up. Hyacinth is exhausted and she leans her head gently on Richard's shoulder and Richard leans his head on Hyacinth's.

Hyacinth is woken up suddenly by a whimper of pain. She knows instantly that it's her son. She gently places her hand on his arm to reassure him. Sheridan doesn't respond to her touch and Hyacinth gets scared. She shakes Richard awake and gets him to go and find a doctor immediately. She can't lose her only child.

Richard is hesitant to leave his wife, but also knows that if he doesn't go she'll be just as upset at him for that. Richard quickly explains to the nurse at the nurse's station what's going on and heads back to comfort Hyacinth. Hyacinth can't handle all the emotions that are flowing through her at this moment and when Richard re-enters the room and holds her close she bursts into tears. Richard knows there's nothing he can say at the moment and so he keeps his mouth shut and just holds Hyacinth close.

When the doctor finally arrives he makes some notes on Sheridan's chart and furrows his brow at the numbers he sees. "I'm not going to beat around the bush Mr and Mrs Bucket. It could go either way at this point. Your son managed to do some fairly serious damage and right now I'm uncertain as to how well he'll come through." He says looking at Hyacinth and Richard seriously.

"But he's come through until now, surely that counts for something. He must be okay. What are you worried about now?" Hyacinth asks trying not to allow her voice to break.

"At this point the greatest concern is the amount of blood he lost. We're getting blood back into him now, but with the amount that he lost I just don't know how much damage that did." The doctor says honestly.

Hyacinth's eyes begin to tear up when she hears the doctor speak. She needed to know, but now she's not so sure she really wanted to know. "Do we know how long it will be before he regains consciousness?" Hyacinth asks quietly.

"With the amount of blood he's lost he's simply not strong enough to be conscious yet. When we get enough blood into him he should regain consciousness." Doctor Fitzgerald says. He's unsure about everything right now.

"Can we stay?" Richard asks remaining fairly calm through the whole experience.

"Of course you can. I'd recommend you don't stay in the room though. The nurses and I will be coming and going all night and we don't want to disturb your sleep anymore tonight." Dr. Fitzgerald says being very understanding about the situation. As an emergency room doctor there are often situations like this to deal with.

"I don't know that we'll be sleeping anymore tonight anyway, but we certainly wouldn't want to prevent any of you from doing your job. Where can we stay?" Richard asks as he continues to rub small circles on Hyacinth's back.

"I'll show you where the family room is. There are pull-out couches in there that you can sleep on. If you'd like to follow me." Dr. Fitzgerald says sympathetically. Times like this are always trying.

"Come along, Hyacinth." Richard says gently. "We need to let Sheridan rest, but we'll stay in the hospital so we know any new information as soon as possible, okay?"

Hyacinth sniffs loudly, but allows Richard to lead her in the same direction Dr. Fitzgerald is going in. "You may stay here for the night. I hope you do get some sleep." Dr. Fitzgerald says kindly.


	13. What are We Going to Do?

Hyacinth slumps heavily onto the couch. She's tired, she's stressed, and her emotions are racing right now. Her brain is having trouble catching up with her emotions right now. She's exhausted and it's late, but she's so worried about her son she's unsure whether she can sleep.

Richard comes over and sits next to her and it's clear he's been concealing his emotions up until now. The moment he sits down on the couch the tears start flowing. He's trying so hard to be strong for Hyacinth, but Sheridan is his son too. Suddenly he feels Hyacinth's hand on his knee. Her touch is comforting for him.

"I was wondering when I was going to see some emotion from you. You've been stoic since you heard about this. I can't believe how ill he looked. I thought being this worried about your children was supposed to fade with time, but it doesn't. In fact, the more time they spend away from you the more anxious you get about them being safe. What are we going to do?" Hyacinth asks as she leans her head on Richard's shoulder.

"We're going to get some sleep so that we can be fresh tomorrow to help Sheridan." Richard says as he slips his shoes off.

Hyacinth slips her shoes off and lies down on the couch that Richard has pulled out for the two of them. Richard gently pulls the blankets over her before slipping his jacket off and climbing into bed next to her. The mattress is lumpy and uncomfortable, but they couldn't be anywhere else. Richard slips his arm around Hyacinth's waist and the minute Hyacinth feels the physical contact she rolls over in Richard's arms and begins to cry on his shoulder. Things have changed so rapidly recently for her that she's unsure that she'd caught up with everything even before they got the news about Sheridan.

Richard sighs as he feels the damp from Hyacinth's tears penetrate his shirt. As her tears penetrate his shirt they also penetrate his heart. It's been so long since they've been emotionally close, but now everything seems to have changed. He feels so close to his wife in this moment and thinks that it's appalling that it takes a tragedy to bring people back together. Richard rubs small circles on Hyacinth's back trying to calm her, but isn't very successful. "You need to take long, slow breaths and calm down Hyacinth. Getting all worked up like this isn't going to help anything." He whispers in her ear.

Hyacinth sighs. Richard is always so matter of fact about things and she tends to be the emotional one. Some things never change. Her breath slowly returns to normal and as she relaxes into Richard's arms she slowly falls asleep. Her head is lying on Richard's arm and she is actually comfortable in his arms again.

Richard doesn't fall asleep until he knows that Hyacinth is permanently asleep for the night. She's a light sleeper and the situation hasn't made her any more likely to sleep well. He takes a deep breath in the silence of the night. It's odd to describe a hospital as a silent place, but in this case it certainly is. He gently kisses Hyacinth's cheek as he falls asleep.


	14. High Emotion

At about 9 o'clock in the morning, according to Richard's watch, after about five hours of fitful sleep for both of them, Dr. Fitzgerald comes to wake them up and update them on their son's condition. Hyacinth is immediately panicky and nervous when the doctor comes directly to them with an update. "Don't worry, Mrs Bucket." Dr. Fitzgerald says calmly. Again there is no comment from Hyacinth about the "mispronunciation" of her last name. "Your son is going to be alright. I'm anticipating he'll be awake soon, despite the condition he was in last night. He'll have to stay for at least another two days for a psychiatric evaluation, but after that he should be able to be released into your care."

Richard cringes as he hears the doctor's recommendation that Sheridan be released into their care. He just got Hyacinth back in his life and he doesn't want to lose her again because Sheridan is back in the house. Hyacinth and Richard slip their shoes back on and begin to walk in the direction of Sheridan's room. Before they enter the room Richard grabs Hyacinth's arms and pleads, "Please, darling, let's make a pact right now that even when Sheridan comes home to live with us for a while that we won't let him affect the relationship we've re-cultivated in the past few days like he did when he was born."

"I promise, darling. I don't want anything to change between us. We'll remain just as we are right this minute. I'll just be busier. Besides, you're in the last two weeks of your career; things will be hectic for you too. I'll focus on Sheridan while you're at work and you and I when you come home." Hyacinth says as she quickly thinks things through.

"That sounds like a wonderful plan. Let's go see how our son is doing." Richard says being supportive.

"Stay close." Hyacinth says quietly. She's nervous about this part.

"I promise." Richard says as he places his hand on the small of Hyacinth's back and they slowly walk into Sheridan's room.

Hyacinth sits in one chair at the edge of the bed and Richard sits in the chair next to her. Richard holds Hyacinth's left hand in his right and Hyacinth's right hand is holding Sheridan's hand. Slowly Sheridan turns over to face his parents. He doesn't look at them and when he does speak he doesn't address his father, "I'm sorry, Mama."

Hyacinth nearly breaks down into tears, but manages to hold it together when she feels Richard squeeze her hand. "It's all right, Sheridan. The important thing is that you're okay. I was so worried about you. It didn't help that we got the call late last night after I thought I'd dealt with everything for the day."

"I'm sorry Mama." Sheridan repeats still not looking at his parents.

Something in Richard snaps at that moment. His son has grown up willful and disrespectful and it's not good enough anymore. "Look at your mother when she's speaking to you! Look at her! We've been here all night and most of it was spent not sleeping because we were waiting to hear any news about you. Even when we did get news about you none of it seemed good. Your mother's been a nervous wreck and all you can do is apologize and not even look at her! It's simply not good enough. I know you're not well, but sometimes that's not an excuse." Richard gets up and walks out of the room despite his promise to Hyacinth.

Hyacinth sits in shock for a moment before she follows Richard out the door. "Richard, I don't know where that just came from and I'm not even sure how much I like it or whether it will help anything at all, but it was needed. I'm just glad I didn't have to say it. He's being utterly unresponsive and unemotional right now when he needs those things the most. It worries me. What if he's already given up?" Hyacinth asks quietly.

"Then the psychiatrists will find out and let us know and they'll probably have to commit him for a length of time in order to help him without putting him or anyone around him at risk. We can't think that far ahead quite yet. We just have to try and support him now." Richard says running his hands across his face.

"Well, you did a jolly good job of doing that with that little outburst. Just control yourself and then we'll go back in." Hyacinth says trying to remain calm herself.


End file.
